Facts Every Blackhawks Fan Should Know Before Game Seven

Here are a few fun facts to know before the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Detroit Red Wings in game seven of the Western Conference Semi-finals. Some include random facts, and I will also include a breakdown of each line and how they have produced in this series.

10 FACTS EVERY BLACKHAWKS FAN SHOULD KNOW BEFORE GAME SEVEN

Corey Crawford’s 35 save performance in game six marks a postseason-high for the goaltender.

Michael Frolik is the first NHL player to score two career penalty shots in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Bryan Bickell’s fifth goal in game six surpassed his previous career total of four goals. He scored two goals in 2011 and another two in 2012.

Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews both notched their first postseason goals of 2013 vs. the Detroit Red Wings in this series. Kane scored in games two and three, Toews scored in game five.

Henrik Zetterberg leads all active NHL players with 54 postseason goals since 2005-06. He has not scored a goal since game seven vs. the Anaheim Ducks.

Patrick Sharp is ninth on the list of all active NHL players with 29 postseason goals since 2005-06. Marian Hossa is tenth on the list with 28 postseason goals.

Corey Crawford lost his only game seven appearance, but he had a .947 save percentage in the game.

In four game seven appearances, head coach Joel Quenneville has only come out on top once (1-3).

The Blackhawks own an 8-7 playoff series record vs. the Detroit Red Wings, 42-38 in those games. The last time the Blackhawks defeated Detroit was in the 1992 Division Finals, they outscored the Red Wings 11-6 and swept them in four games.

BLACKHAWK OFFENSE

Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane have four goals, eight assists, and a minus-2 rating in the series.

Bryan Bickell, Michal Handzus, and Marian Hossa have five goals, four assists, and a plus-2 rating in the series.

Brandon Saad, Andrew Shaw, and Viktor Stalberg have two goals, two assists, and a minus-4 rating in the series.

Marcus Kruger, Dave Bolland, and Michael Frolik have one goal, one assist, and a minus-4 rating in the series.

RED WING OFFENSE

Johan Franzen, Pavel Datsyuk, Justin Abdelkader have two goals, three assists, and a minus-1 rating in the series.

Henrik Zetterberg, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary have three goals, six assists, and a minus-1 rating in the series.

Drew Miller, Cory Emmerton, Damien Brunner have four goals, three assists, and a plus-6 rating in the series.

Gustav Nyquist, Joakim Andersson, Patrick Eaves have three goals, four assists, and a plus-6 rating in the series.

D TO D

BLACKHAWKS — Duncan Keith leads the defense with four assists, while Johnny Oduya is the only Blackhawks defenseman to score a goal in the series. The Chicago defense has contributed one goal, eight assists and a paltry minus-8 rating so far in the series. However, the defense has come close to matching the Red Wings physicality with 49 hits and 37 blocked shots, mostly thanks to Brent Seabrook and his series-leading 22 hits. The stat that is the most telling, however, is the defensive core’s giveaway/takeaway ratio, which clocks in at 19/13.

RED WINGS — Brendan Smith and Jakub Kindl lead the defense with one goal and two assists apiece. The Red Wings defense has contributed two goals, seven assists, and a triumphant plus-8 rating compared to the Blackhawks defensive core. Their physical play is comparable to the Blackhawks, with 50 hits and 42 blocked shots. The biggest difference comes with their giveaway/takeaway ratio, where the Red Wing’s defense seems to be turning the puck over at an alarming 24/5 rate.

GOALTENDING DUEL

Corey Crawford has given Chicago a solid opportunity every game with a solid .924 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average in this series. Crawford has been unbelievable on the penalty-kill, making 62 saves on 63 shots (.984) in the postseason. This year he has a 0-1 postseason record in overtime.

Jimmy Howard has been equally up to the task for the Red Wings in this series, compiling a .936 save percentage and 2.18 goals against average. He has been fairly solid on the penalty-kill, clocking in at a .836 save percentage. He faced a penalty shot in game six, his only one of the postseason, and let it in. This year he has a 3-1 postseason record in overtime.

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